Maine's master violinmaker died on Labor Day

A longtime Maine fiddler and violinmaker who was viewed as one of the best in the country has died. Jonathan Cooper, who had a Portland shop for decades, died just before dawn on Labor Day, his wife, Liz Bieber, wrote on his Facebook page. His exact age was unclear Tuesday morning, but he was in his 70s. Cooper's custom-made, high-end violins made using historical techniques drew praise from professionals spanning chamber musicians to folk fiddlers for their sound, craftsmanship and attention to player-specific detail. He was one of about 100 luthiers in the country known as masters, Maine Public reported in 2015. Social media tributes from around the country remembered him personally as a generous, curious and kind professional who helped start the careers of other young instrumentmakers and was active in a wide-ranging musical community. 'I want the instrument to be able to speak, I want it to be able to sound,' Cooper told the in 2013. 'That's why you have to make them one at a time.